Catholic Education Service Director, Paul Barber, writes:
This year marks the 175th anniversary of Education Sunday, first established by the Bishops in 1848 and one of the oldest Days of Special Prayer in the Church calendar.
It takes place on the second Sunday of September, at the start of a new academic year, and also shortly after pupils receive their GCSE and A Level results.
There is much to celebrate, as the 2,175 Catholic schools in England and Wales continue to be true to their mission in educating more pupils from the most deprived backgrounds, as well as routinely outperforming national averages in GCSE English, Maths and Religious Studies.
However, since 2010 the Church has not been able to open new free schools due to a government policy capping at 50% the number of Catholics a Catholic school can take in if oversubscribed. This 50% cap would result in Catholic pupils being refused admission, which is against canon law.
The need for more schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision is particularly acute – this is also affected by the admissions cap.
Across the country dioceses are best placed to respond to differing local needs in Catholic education, but are prevented from doing so by this one-size-fits-all policy approach.
With this in mind it is important that the Catholic community comes together to support the Catholic Union’s campaign to scrap this arbitrary cap, to ensure parents have the choice of a Catholic education for their child.